What are the top 5 things you recomend to do to lose weight?

MensEtSalvere2013

Hi, all: I have been on this weight loss journey for a little over a year and a half and I would like to list the top 5 things I recommend to be successful on losing weight; I would also like to hear what your top 5 are. So far I am down 67 pounds
1. It is important to list non-scale victories AKA NSV's
2. Drink water.
3. Cardio and weight lifting are a tremendous help.
4. Log your food and exercise as best as you can.
5. Remember to be kind to yourself and that it's OK to indulge a bit

marialydia

1. If you mess up and overeat, do not beat yourself up. DO get right back on track the next meal/ next day.
2. Throw away your fat clothes. If you have them you have a back up plan that you do not want.
3. Get your exercise even, especially, when you don't feel like it. You will never regret having exercised, but you will regret not having done it.
4. Don't worry if you are not losing weight as fast as everyone else on this board. What matters is your overall pattern.
5. Do not make excuses (when I am traveling it's too hard, it's a birthday/ anniversary/ special celebration). These add up very fast and can break your weight loss behavioral pattern.

justlast

1. drink water! carry around a water bottle with you - it's amazing how much hunger is actually just thirst
2. find an exercise you like to do - for me, it started out as jogging on a treadmill with my laptop on the dresser in front of me (my setup wasn't great) and headphones on, either listening to music or watching something on netflix (episodes of my favorite shows run about 45 minutes - one episode, fifteen minute break, second episode, done!)
3. don't try to force yourself to be competitive if you aren't already; do things at your own pace and don't compare yourself to other people
4. hold yourself accountable for everything, good AND bad - 'i ate three donuts' as well as 'i just jogged two miles without stopping'
5. be kind to yourself

lorenzovonmatterhorn7549

1. Will power - This is going to be a long journey. Make up your mind to do it and stick with it. Never give up.
2. Prepare meals ahead of time. Tuperware is your friend.
3. Fitness starts in the kitchen - You can't out exercise bad nutrition.
4. Partners - Find like minded people to help motivate you on the days you don't feel like doing anything.
5. Prepare for setbacks. Setbacks or plateaus will happen. Expect them and prepare for them.

AJ_G

1. Never refer to your weight loss as a "journey".

2. Measure and account for everything that you put in your mouth.

3. Adopt a strength training routine that incorporates progressive overload training with heavy lifting to preserve muscle during weight loss.

4. Don't adopt a nutrition plan that has you eliminating foods because you've been told they're not good for you. Do your research about nutrition and understand that what really matters is the macronutrient breakdown of your total daily intake as well as your fiber, and micronutrient intake.

5. Eat the foods you love, without going over your calorie goal, make sure you reach your protein, fat, and fiber minimums every day

alliemarie77

These are great! I wish I had stumbled across something like this when I first started.

1. Don't expect big losses every week. There will be weeks when you only lose 1 pound or less.

2. Don't be discouraged if you go over on your marcos one day here or there. It happens to us all, and we get back on track as soon as we can.

3. If your not used to exercising every day, start slow. Your obviously not going to be able to run a marathon without training for it. So start out walking, and slowly increase your distance and speed. Soon you will be jogging your route.

4. Take pictures, and measurements from day one, and keep track of your progress.

5. Set mini goals along the way. Set realistic time frames on your goals. You didn't put the weight on over night, and your not going to lose it any faster. So don't expect to lose 35 pounds in 3 weeks.

**BONUS** Have fun learning to eat right, and live again!

TemikaThompson

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DawnOBRN

1. Get off your *kitten*

2. Eat less

3. Be patient

4. Dont let the # on the scale determine your worth

5. Take progress pics/measurements every 2-3 months

Debbie_Ferr

All excellent advice !!! love it.

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ajball90

bumppppp

themedalist

1. Get a digital food scale and use it.

2. Move. More. A lot more.

3. If you bite it, write it.

4. Develop a solid plan for maintenance. Most people put the weight back on because they don't have a post weight-loss plan.

5. Be patient.

geekyjock76

1. Research first by becoming familiar with important yet accurate fitness and nutritional definitions and topics. Find free, peer-reviewed journals that address changes in human physiology and metabolism as a result of various exercise and diet methods during a fat loss intervention. Pay extensive attention to: energy balance equation (part of which covers TDEE); adaptive thermogenesis (metabolic adaptations which occur as a result of chronic calorie restriction that include, but not limited to, observed decrease in total energy expenditure [TDEE] as well as respective decrease/increase in concentration values of key hormones which regulate energy balance, leptin and ghrelin; and the impact and benefits of effective resistance training and aerobic activity regarding fat loss with relative maintenance of fat-free mass.
2. Design a fat loss intervention that closely mirrors how you intend to eat and exercise during maintenance. The closer it is, the less variables need adjusting, the more compliant you'll be and the easier it will be to transition into maintenance. When selecting exercise, include modes that provide the most benefit to goals in addition to something you'd enjoy.
3. Before initiating a diet, weigh and log all food intake to estimate actual TDEE relative to planned activity level. If you are adding or increasing exercise, adjust calories until relative weight homeostasis is reached. This will represent actual TDEE - thus providing a more accurate baseline to which you can establish the proper deficit suitable for you instead of some arbitrary deficit estimate.
4. Choose the appropriate deficit according to degree of adiposity - the less fat mass, the smaller the deficit. Continue with said deficit until certain pre-determined weight loss/body composition milestones have been reached. In other words, as fat mass lessens, reduce the deficit by introducing more calories. By the time you're within 15 lbs of desired weight goal, caloric intake should be no greater than 250-300 calories below adjusted maintenance. This decreasing of the deficit as fat mass lessens makes the transition into maintenance easier with less negative impact on adjusted TDEE and metabolic hormones.
5. Reassess periodically using various measurements (scale weight, girth circumference, body fat, etc.), be patient and realistic.

xilka

1. Log everything
2. Walk, walk, walk
3. Strength train - even if you can't even manage 1 push-up at first
4. EAT LOTS OF PROTEIN
5. Document your progress by taking pictures and recording measurements

ash190489

1. Eat as clean as possible (whole foods, non processed foods)
2. Combination of cardio (fat burning walks, HIIT) & weight training (lifting heavy)
3. Drink lots of water (plus warm water & lemon in the morning) & green tea
4. Eat in relation to calories & MACROS (complex carbs, lean proteins & healthy fats)
5. Learn new healthy recipes using lots of vegetables & cut salt/ sugar & alcohol where possible!

bunny1006

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lafoto13

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CherylP67

1. Dong't give your body a timeline (I need to lose ___ pounds by ___) your body has no clue of dates and is going to respond in it's own way. You'll also be likely to give up if you don't meet your goal; the ones I see are unrealistic usually.

2. Eat more than 1200 calories a day; you will have energy to get things done and you'll stop thinking about food so much.

3. Don't give up on yourself if you have a bad day.

4. It's okay to maintain or gain a smidge once in awhile. I'm up this week, but I'm looking better than last week.

5. Every person has the ability to change their life, if you really want it, you are capable.

trudijoy

my TOP goal is don't look at it as a weight loss journey. Look at it as a health and wellbeing journey. If you are healthy and well, fueling your body well and using energy, then you won't have a weight issue, so it's a non-issue

Spiderkeys

1. Count your calories, and don't overeat or undereat.

2. Never skip breakfast or you will want to eat more at lunch and dinner.

3. Be Active as much as possible.

4. Prepare for some bad days, like gaining a pound or kg in a day, it's usually only temporary water weight.

5. Never eat just before bed.

nikiafter

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jdhoward_101

1. Realize that it isn't easy and that progress can be slow, and appreciate even the half pound loss

2. It's OK to have a naughty day every no and again; don't feel guilty, just make sure you get right back on it the next day

3. Lifting. It's amazing the difference lifting can make.

4. Cut down on the carbs; don't cut them out altogether, just ensure they aren't the staple part of your diet

5. Don't eat anything 'heavy' right before going to bed; a slice of toast is OK, but not a full blown meal, or a bowl of cheesy nachos!